Here's the Beef ~ Beef Brisket

BEEF BRISKET

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 LB Beef Brisket
Meat Tenderizer
1 Can Brown Gravy
1 Can Sliced Mushrooms (Optional)
1/2 Cup Italian Salad Dressing
1 Pkg Dry Onion Soup Mix
Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS:
Trim excess fat from brisket. Make punctures to both sides of meat with a fork and then sprinkle with meat tenderizer on both sides. Place meat on heavy duty foil.

Mix rest of ingredients and pour over meat, sprinkle with garlic powder.

Wrap tightly and cook for 1 hour per pound in oven at 300F.

After meat has cooked 1 1/2 hours, remove and slice meat against the grain. (It is very important to slice against the grain, if the grain is running diagonal, make sure to slice on the opposite diagonal, otherwise the meat will not turn out fork tender.) Return meat to pan, wrap back up and continue cooking.

NOTE: The gravy can be served separate after meat is done. You can also increase the quantity of gravy ingredients if you like lots of gravy or are serving with mashed potatoes as I do for my guys.

Stacked Enchilada Bake

Hello all!

I am so excited to be a part of this blog. I love sharing recipes and finding new ones.

Here is what I made for dinner last night.

Stacked Enchilada Bake
6 servings

12 corn tortillas (5-6 inches in diameter), torn into bit size pieces
2 cans (15-16 oz. each) Amy's vegetarian chili
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Jack cheese
3 med. green onions
1 small can of sliced black olives

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 quart casserole.
Place half of the tortillas pieces in casserole; top with one can of chili. Repeat layers. Pour enchilada sauce over chili and tortilla pieces. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with green onions and olives. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes, or until bubbly around edges. Serve with sour cream.

This is so great because you can add or subtract any ingredients. I love make this instead of regular enchiladas because it is so easy.

Enjoy.

Country Fried Steak and Gravy

I know it's not one of the healthiest of meals out there, but add some mashed potatoes and I'm in dinner heaven.

COUNTRY FRIED STEAK AND GRAVY

INGREDIENTS:
1 Boneless Round Steak
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
Flour
Milk
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
About 2 Cups Milk or Water

DIRECTIONS:
Pound steak to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into serving size pieces. Sprinkle with seasonings and dredge in flour, dip in milk and then dredge in flour again. In a large skillet, brown steaks in hot oil. Remove, drain on paper towels and set aside.

Pour off all but about 3 tbs of pan drippings, add the 1/4 cup flour and cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Add milk and cook until thickened. Stirring constantly. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Add steak to gravy, cover and reduce heat. Simmer about 30 minutes, remove cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Cooks Note: I always double the gravy!

Lemon Cheese Bars

1 box yellow cake mix (any cake mix works, just leave out lemon juice)
1 egg
1/3 cup oil

Mix until crumbly. Save 1 1/2 cup for topping and put the rest in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake crust 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

1 - 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice

Beat until smooth. Spoon mixture over baked crust and sprinkle reserved topping over cream cheese mixture. Bake an additional 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Homemade Salsa (for canning)

10 Cups of peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
5 c chopped onions
3 sweet banana peppers, diced
4 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 t minced garlic
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 1/4 c vinegar
2 T chili powder
2 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 T sugar


Simmer 1-3 hours and can. Use a waterbath for extra protection, 25 minutes for pints.

*Save and can the juice from the tomatoes. Can each quart with 2 t lemon juice and 1 t sugar. Waterbath 45 minutes for quarts.


*PHOTO HELP*

To peel/skin your tomatoes easily just put them in boiling water. Skins will split in 10 seconds - 2 minutes. Remove as soon as the skin splits and lay on a clean towel to cool until you can handle them comfortably. Some tomatoes won't split. If it has been in the water for approximately 1-2 minutes, lift it out and feel it. If it looks tight and ready to burst, yet it feels like a water balloon, then remove it to cool. It's ready.

Food for thought.......

I had to name this post "food for thought" because I totally taxed my tiny brain trying to think of what to post! How could KGrams do this to me? You can't just tell me to post any old thing and have me running around thinking all willy-nilly! I'm a follower, not a leader, you have to give me something to work with here!

Well, after using up many needed brain cells, I decided to post a couple of easy side dishes. My thoughts were that I always wish I had more side dish recipes, so maybe other people do too. Hope you like them.

Easy Green Beans ~everyone likes green beans. I just doll them up a little so their not so plain.
2 cans of green beans (don't drain)
1 can kidney beans (don't drain)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 Tblsp. "real" bacon bits ( no fair using fake bacon bits ~ I buy the real ones in the jar)
salt & pepper to taste

Okay, here comes the really hard part.........throw everything into a sauce pan and simmer till the onion is cooked through. Whew! Man that was a tough one! ;) My guys love these and sometimes if it's just me eating, I throw in a couple of new potatoes and just make it a meal.


asparagus
1 bunch of asparagus (cut off the woody ends)
1/2 a red bell pepper (finely chopped)
one clove of garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tblsp. olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat skillet & oil, start browning the garlic. Throw in the bell pepper & asparagus. Saute for about 2 minutes. Plate & toss with a little salt & pepper

Wow, this was tough, good thing I have a theme to work with next week, I couldn't do this twice in a row!

Super Duper Egg Salad

I am an egg salad freak. It has to be my kind of egg salad though, with all the goop, served with lettuce and tomato on wheat.

Ingredients
6 hard boiled eggs
1/3 cup mayo
1/4 cup minced olives (optional)
2 tbsp minced green onions
2 tbsp minced parsley (optional)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped bacon
salt
black pepper

Coarsely chop hard boiled eggs then combine all ingredients.
Refrigerate one hour.

Banana French Toast

Here is my recipe for an something with "Eggs".

BANANA FRENCH TOAST

INGREDIENTS:
6 Eggs
1 Banana
1 tsp Vanilla
Milk
Cinnamon
6 to 8 Slices of Bread (Extra thick bread like Texas Toast is the best.)

DIRECTIONS:
In a blender, place eggs, banana, vanilla and milk. Blend for several seconds.

Add cinnamon to taste and blend again.

Lay bread out in a dish and pour egg mixture over it. Turn bread to coat both sides. Let bread soak in mixture for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cook on hot griddle or skillet.


(My guys love this so much, that I end up using up to a dozen eggs and 12 pieces of bread whenever I make it.)

Eggs Elegance

This is actually my mother-in-law's recipe, I thought it sounded really good so I am posting it.

INGREDIENTS:
20 Slices of Bread with Crusts Removed
Butter
½ lb Velveeta Cheese
1 Pint Half & Half
10 to 12 Eggs

DIRECTIONS:
Butter both sides of bread and cut into small chunks.

Place in buttered casserole dish. Cut cheese and place on top of bread.

Mix half & half and eggs. Pour over bread.

Refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature 1 1/2 hours before baking.

Bake in 350F oven in uncovered casserole dish for 45 minutes or until egg mixture is solid. Crust will form on top of eggs.

Breakfast Pizza

For the EGGS topic: How about a breakfast pizza? My SIL uses her Pampered Chef stoneware to bake it on after preparing the eggs seperate and adding them already cooked. Either way you'll get a yummy brunch item to serve.


Breakfast Pizza

1 lb. bulk sausage, cook, drain and set aside
1 8 oz. can crescent rolls
1 c frozen hash browns, thawed (I thaw in microwave)
1 c cheddar cheese
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 c milk
Salt and Pepper


Place the points of the crescent rolls (seperated) towards the center of a round 12" pizza pan. Press to seal and make a crust. Sprinkle the crust with the cooked sausage, then top with th hash browns and cheese. Combine the milk, eggs, salt and pepper and pour over the mixture. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the top with more cheese if desired (I always desire!) and bake 5 more minutes.

Cheesy Potatoes

Ok, so I think by now everyone plus their Mother makes this in some way, shape or version. But how can you have a 'side dish' heading and not add it? LOL. It's so incredible that even a die-hard Atkins fan might sneak just one little bite.

1 - 2 lb. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 stick melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c fine chopped onion
2 1/2 c shredded cheese - cheddar or mixed
16 oz. sour cream

Mix and spread in sprayed 9X13 inch pan. Bake about 45 minutes at 350. If you really want to be 'midwestern' you can crush 2 cups of cornflakes, mix with 1/4 c melted butter and sprinkle this over the top before baking. For those from the East, yeah.... we really do eat corn flakes on our casseroles in the midwest.

A Side Dish ~ Sweet Potato Casserole

I am not a big fan of sweet potatoes, but even I like this dish.

FILLING
3 Cups Cooked Sweet Potatoes (Boiled and Drained)
½ Stick Butter (Melted)
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 Cup White Sugar
¾ Cup Milk
½ tsp Cinnamon

TOPPING
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Pecans)
1/2 Stick Butter, Soft

DIRECTIONS:

FILLING
Cream potatoes, add eggs, sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.

Put in casserole dish.

TOPPING
Cream sugar and butter together and add nuts.

Sprinkle over top of filing in casserole dish.

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.

squash casserole

Lotsa squash this time of year! Here's a recipe my mom recently came upon that has become a quick favorite for us.

2 lb. squash (4-6 cups)
1 onion chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded carrots
1 pkg. (8 oz.) bread stuffing mix (Stove Top Dressing)
1/2 cup margarine (1 stick), melted

Cook squash, onion and carrots in water for 7 minutes. Combine soup and
sour cream. Fold in squash mixture. Combine stuffing mix and butter in a
bowl. Spread 1/2 of this in a baking dish (7x12 inch). Spoon squash
mixture on top and then cover with remaining stuffing mixture. Bake 350
degrees for 20 - 30 minutes until hot.

zucchini casserole

This weeks theme is side dishes. I so love this one because I'm tired of the same ole' - same ole'! Uncle Ben is a frequent visitor in my house and I wish he'd just go home! I'm sick of all the pre-packaged, high in fat, crap in a bag you get at the store!

This recipe is from my aunt in Springfield MO. I never really liked zucchini, but you don't really taste it. All the flavors meld together. It actually takes on a sweet flavor. It's really good. You have to try it at least once.

2 TBLSP of oil (any kind)
1 TBLSP chopped garlic ~ I use the jared stuff because I'm lazy and use garlic in just about everything ;)
1 med. purple onion - sliced into half rings
1 can regualr corn (drained)
1 can stewed tomatos (do not drain)
1 med zucchini ( sliced)
salt & pepper to taste - I like lots of pepper (sometimes I add a dash of red pepper flakes)
shredded chedder cheese ('bout a handful)

• In a skillet, heat oil, brown garlic until fragrent, add onion and cook till soft
• add corn, tomatos, zucchini and salt & pepper, bring to a boil and simmer till zuchini is soft

Here's where you can change it up a bit, depending on the time you have. If I'm running short on time, I just serve it like it is, out of the skillet. The family LOVES it. However, to finish it off, you can transfer it to a casserole dish and sprinkle on the cheese. Place it in a 375 oven and bake till heated through and melting the cheese. It's soooo good this way also.

Feel free to play with it and add your own touches. Let me know if you come up with something good! Hope you love it. If by chance you don't, I don't wanna know! hehehe

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna

It's a recipe that my entire family loves and we have it fairly often. I recently posted it on my blog and it got rave reviews. Enjoy!


1 lb. Ground Beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 t seasoned salt
1 can diced tomatoes or about 1 cup fresh diced
2 - 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 - 4 oz. can green chilies
1 c ricotta or cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
10 flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Cook the ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning, seasoned salt, tomatoes, tomato sauce and chilies. Mix and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Mix the ricotta cheese and eggs in a bowl. Preheat your oven to 350. Spread half of the meat mixture in a 9X13 pan. Rip your flour tortillas in half and lay about 5 of them down on top of the meat mixture to cover, overlapping if necessary. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered about 20-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes to 'set up' before slicing into squares. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

*Note*
Recipes are NEVER mandatory as written. Use a mixture of ground turkey and beef, or tofu in place of the meat if you want. Mix the shredded cheeses or just use monterey jack or just cheddar. Use corn tortillas if you prefer, but the flour tortillas take the place of the lasagna noodles and are more pasta-like. Have fun with it!